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MY STORY

PERMACULTURIZING

--  Applying Permaculture throughout life  -

I'm a thirty-something Belgian lass, who has lived on Mallorca since 2000. I never meant to live here, my plans were somewhat more exotic! Now however, with 40 looming, I think I quite like it here. There is Sun, Sea, Mountains and Belgium is not that far away now that family becomes more valuable. Besides these comforts, I have to say that Mallorca just has "it"! The vibes, the energy, the I-don't-know-what-it-is that inspires so many people to make changes in their lives, from coming to spend a holiday to retiring, from running away with island-fever to returning to set up eco-projects, from transition to permaculture to valuing the traditions of Mallorca and safe-guarding what it is that makes "Sa Roqueta" such a wonderful home to have... Maybe it is the mix of people that come in search of this "it" that keeps me here!

So after having lived on a sailing yacht and worked in the nautical and real estate industry on the island for many years, after having left the island to tourguide Australians through Europe and Morocco, and after some soul-searching in between, I have chosen to come back and actually do something that I believe makes sense. This something is to dive deeper into the subjects of Permaculture and Holistic Management, in search of a sustainable future for the planet and for future generations, whilst enjoying my own quality of life.  I happily invite you all along on my roadtrip through life, and look forward to forever be learning whilst enjoying the small pleasures nature and people have to offer...

Aline Van Moerbeke, July 2015

MY DAY TO DAY

Currently we live in a rented villa in a isolated urbanisation 2km away from the nearest village. There are no shops or restaurants, other than a little cafeteria by the chapel. The connection to town is by a busy main road, buses are scarce and the pushbike is just not a safe option. We have a gorgeous lush garden that yes needs lots of maintenance but it gives us that paradisiac feeling and a lovely green outlook from all windows. We can also house a chickenpen so we enjoy fresh eggs, and the dog is chuffed with all this running-around space... We have more living space than we need in the house which needs some thinking through when you want to heat it and boy let's not talk about the cleaning, but it also means we can have friends and family over and host birthday parties without a problem. We have a large kitchen with lots of worktop space which makes me want to experiment with recipes and to store lots of fruit and veg in sight. Furter veg can be seen from the kitchen window, in our vegetable plot and lettuce boxes. A lot of energy goes into this property, which is not ours, but we are grateful we can enjoy it now and who knows what the future brings... 

"We" is my partner, his 2 daughters and me.

Time is precious, and I find it hard to choose what I fill my time with, as there are so many things out there that I am interested in learning more about, or just simply enjoy doing, albeit in a holistic/conscious manner, and therefore I end up with chocka-block stacked days, and often run down my own energy levels, which is something I want to learn how to balance out and take more time for the healing of my body.

I cover my basic living costs as a hiking guide 1/4 of the year, mainly for the WWF partner Wikinger Reisen although I am a free agent. I am an active board member of the not-for-profit association Permacultura Mediterránea most of the rest of the time and I have recently started on the new path of Californian Massage. Permaculture is one of my greatest passions, as it seems to connect all the dots, I love to teach and live from sharing this knowledge with others, and I have a particular dream to start a Transition Town group in my town or at least a sharing circle or exchange system (LET) in my community. Having come from a very capitalist  position as Sales Director in Real Estate I love learning more about economics and how to re-design the economical system! To top it all I would like to promote ecological solutions for the home through Home Sweet Homes Mallorca and Second Home Services (HSH-sales and rentals & SHS-garden and home maintenance). I love doing all of these things, but my design should also include time to just "be" and do nothing! Meditation, reading, listening to music, chat with friends... they all definitely deserve a spot on the planner!

 

TRANSPORT IS HARD - THE CAR UPS MY CARBON FOOTPRINT
Nutrition is important to me - FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IS A MUST
I LIKE IT COSY - LIGHT IS KEY
ANIMALS ARE A COMMITMENT - CHICKENS, A DOG, A TURTLE AND FISH - ENOUGH!
I DREAM OF A "POSH" DRY TOILET
 
WATER IS TREASURE - I'D LIKE TO DESIGN BETTER FOR A CORRECT WATER USE

DAILY AFFIRMATIONS TO SELF:

"I have time to smell the roses and enjoy reading a magazine whilst sipping a fresh juice."

"I live without feeling pressure to provide for my basic needs such as food and shelter."

“I travel and meet people from other cultures, be it in my head or on the actual planet.”

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